Research Students

Talia Goldberg, MA student

Talia Goldberg is a Masters student studying archeological preservation and cultural heritage at the University of Haifa. She is also a tour guide and a basket weaver and is writing her thesis on the date palm basketry and cordage finds from Nahal Omer in the northern Arava valley.

Barak Garty, PhD candidate

Barak Garty holds a Master of Arts in Maritime Civilizations from the University of Haifa's School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures. His research focuses on arid marginal desert agriculture, emphasizing the Byzantine Negev, settlement resilience, and food security. Garty developed a computational model to predict the resilience of ancient marginal settlements in resource-limited and harsh environments. The model is called AGENTS and is publicly available: AGENTS Model.

Naama Gur Lavie, PhD candidate

Naama is a PhD student in the Faculty of Education in Science and Technology at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. With a strong background in education and outdoor field instruction, she has experience in both formal and informal learning environments.
As part of the BOSTAN SPICES project, Naama is exploring student engagement and learning processes in citizen science initiatives, focusing on the dynamics of hands-on scientific inquiry coupled with experiential learning processes.

Hadas Regev Yarkoni, MA student

Hadas Regev Yarkoni is a Master’s student at the University of Haifa, supervised by Professor Guy Bar‑Oz. Her research focuses on Lilium candidum (the Madonna Lily) and its botanical history, emphasizing the species’ rich ethnobotanical heritage. Her work spans the Holy Land’s landscapes—from natural habitats to the ancient monasteries that have preserved Lilium traditions for centuries. Through her BOSTAN TREE study, she is demonstrating how Lilium candidum, one of the earliest domesticated ornamental plants, embodies deep religious and symbolic significance within the broader history of horticulture. Hadas is also a tour guide and author whose books explore the history and landscapes of the Holy Land.